Dramatic footage of a plane pulling off an extraordinary landing at London’s Heathrow Airport, after contending with powerful headwinds brought by Storm Dennis, is the talk on social media. The Etihad Airbus A380 aircraft hovered sideways over the runway before successfully landing on Saturday.
Hundreds of flights in and out of the United Kingdom were grounded on Saturday because of Storm Dennis, with easyJet (flight operator) cancelling more than 230 flights. Storm Dennis, the second to hit England in as many weeks, has unleashed strong winds and heavy rain over the weekend.
The Environmental Agency (EA) there has issued a record number of flood warnings and alerts for England after some parts of the UK had more than a month’s rain in just two days. As many as 594 warnings and alerts in place were a record, said John Curtin, the EA’s flood and coastal risk management executive director.
Parts of Wales recorded more than a month’s rainfall in 48 hours from Friday to Sunday morning. Crai Reservoir in Powys, Wales, saw 156.2mm of rain well above Wales' average monthly rainfall of 111.1mm in February.
The village of Nantgarw, Rhondda Cynon Taff, near Cardiff, happens to be among the worst effected in England with entire streets becoming submerged on Sunday and emergency services evacuating people from their homes.
According to Paul Mason, group manager of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, he had never experienced anything as bad in his 31 years in the service. He said the weather was “unprecedented,” adding he had, “never experienced anything like this before."
"The storms are expected to continue, and water is anticipated to be at peak levels on Monday and Tuesday. It is important people are ready should the worst happen,” Georgie Timmins, crisis response officer at the British Red Cross was quoted as saying.
Video courtesy: The Independent
